Comb attachment for carpet sweepers



Feb. 21, 1933. E. R. SMITH 1,898,318

COMB ATTACHMENT FOR CARPET SWEEPERS Filed July 15. 1951 19 20 /C f Z0 I I I6 Wv BYEHELE E. 5

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 21 1933 UNITED,- STATES PATENT (OFFICE EABLE n. smrrn, orALEAMBR cALIFoBNIA, ASSIGNOR 'ro oILIlnrrrn swnnrnn CORPORATION, turn, or nos ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION or NEVADA COMB ATTACHMENT FOR CARPET SWEEPERS Application filed July 13,

My invention relates to combs for cleaning the rotary brushes of carpet sweepers, and it has fora purpose the provision of a comb attachment which is mounted in relation to a brush as to be automatically operable to clean thebrush when the latter is rotated in one direction and to cause-the brush to clean the comb when the brush is rotated in the other direction, thus maintaining both the brush and comb thoroughly clean and free of all accumulations at all times. A

It is also a purpose of my invention to provide in a carpet sweeper a duplex arrangement of combs as above described and wherein the two combs alternately function to clean the brush and then to be cleaned by the brush all according as the brush is rotated in one direction or the other the combs being pivoted at points above the brush axis and inclined upwardly so that when cleaning the brush they serve as gates between the dust pans and brush to conduct the dust and matter collected from the floor into the pans and thus prevent the matter from falling back on to thefloor.

A further purpose of v provision of a .omb mounting in which the comb tends to ravitate toward the brush so that when the brush is rotated in one direc tion, the comb reposes on the outer ends of the bristles to be cleaned by the latter, while when the brush is rotated in the o her direction, the frictional engagement of the bristles with the comb teeth coupled with the tendency of the comb to move toward the brush, causes the comb to be automatically moved to a position in which'its teeth are extended between the bristles thereby efl'ecting cleaning of the latter. I V

I will describe only one form of comb attachment for carpet sweepers, embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawing, 7 Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a carpet sweeper with the top thereof removed and having incorporated therein one .form of comb attachment embodying my invention.

my invention is the 1931. Serial No. 550,304.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional View taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are semi-diagrammatic views showing the three positions which each comb is adapted to assume and in relationto the brush.

My invention in the specific embodiment herein illustrated is applied to a conventional form of carpet sweeper shown as including the usual body B mounted for rolling movement on wheels W and provided with a brush D which is rotatable about a fixed axis through the wheels and in eitheridirection according as the body is-moved in onedirection or the other over a floors Dust pans -P are secured in the sweeper body at opposite/ sides of the brush to collect the dust and other matter removed from the floor by the brush. ,f

l he comb attachment embodying my invention comprises a pair of combs G and C' disposed at opposite sides of the brush D, and

although they are reversely arranged, their 1 specific construction and manner of mount-- ing is identical, so that a description of one will suffice for both. 1 A

Each comb comprises an elongated body 15 preferably made of metal, and of concaveconvexform in cross section to lend strength thereto. From one edge of the body 15, teeth 16 extend which are likewise formed of metal and cast or stamped from the same piece of metal as the body. The opposite ends of the body 15 are flattened and bent at right angles to form ears 17 which are provided with openings 18 in which pivot pins are received to support the comb as a whole for pivotal movement within the sweeper body B.

- The pivot pins are indicated at 19, arfd, as shown in Fig. 2, they project inwardly from the end walls of the sweeper. body B so as to support the comb G or C for pivotal movement about an axis which is above the axis of rotation of the brush in order that the comb may function in a prescribed manner. Furthermore, the pivotal axis. of the comb is ofiset or to one side of its longitudinal center or major axis of the comb so that when mounted on the pins 19 it constantly tends to gravitate toward the brush D tocause its teeth to have cleaning engagement with the bristles ofthe brush.

4 To limit swinging or pivotal movement of the comb in either direction about the pins 19 as a center, I provide a air, of stop pins 20 which are secured in and project inward- 1 from the end walls of the. swee er bodg I; at points above and slightly to the brus side of thepivot pins. Thesestop pins are relatively long, and their positioning is such that they are engaged by the ears 17 to limit swinging movement of the conib inwardly toward the brush D, and by the end teeth 16 to limit swinging movement of the comb outwardlyaway from the brush. a

It is important to note that both the pivot pins-and stop pins are formed of fiber or 7 other non-metallic material in order to eliminate noise incident to the ears and teeth strilcin the stop pins and the comb swing- .in 'or ein vibrated on the, pivot pins.

7 uring t e normal reciprocating {movements of the sweeper over -a floor, the operation of the comb attachment is .as follows:

With the brush D rotating in a counter clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, the right handcomb C occupies a stripping or cleaning position with respect to the brush as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and in which pos1ti0n the comb teeth pass between the brush bristles to remove there-' from all hairs, threads, dust, and other fibrous accumulations and to cause them to comb C is defined by the res ective ears l7 abutting the stop pins 20, an in such position the comb teeth are .atan angle of 'substantiall 45-degrees to and above a horizon- 4 vtal line intersecting, the axis of the brush D.

The comb 'is initially moved to this position v by the combined action of gravity; due to the mounting of the comb, and the'fricti'onal engagement of the brush bristles with the comb teeth. The brush bristles in moving downward between the teeth actually pull the comb,

inwardly, and this action is positive and occurs immediately when the brush-is rotated in a clockwise irection. V

The other comb C, meanwhile, occupies a position tangent with respect to the periphcry of the brush D so that the comb teeth repose on the outer ends of the brush bristles as best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, of the brush bristles. The comb G is moved to-this tangentposition by and concurrently with movement of the brush in a'clockwise direc- C is functioning to clean the brush, the

brush operates to clean the comb Q.

So long as the brush D is rotated in a clockwise direction the two combs function as described, but when rotation of the brush is reversed, the combs instantly reverse their positions so that the comb C now operates to clean the brush while the brush operates to clean the comb C. Thus it will manifest that according'as the brush is rotated in one direction or the other, one comb cleans the brush and causes the resultant combings to 'be deposited into the respective dust pan, while the other is positioned to be cleanedby the brush. By reason of the mounting of the combs and their upward position in respect to the brush, the aforedescribed mode of operation is entirely automatic and is accomplished without the use of springs.

Only when the sweeper is lifted from the floor and tilted or inverted, do the stop pins function to limit outward swinging movement of the combs, as illustrated in Fig. 5,

and this is so done that once the sweeper is restored to a horizontal position the combs gravitate to a tangent position with respect to the periphery. of the brush.

Although I- have herein shown and described only one form of comb attachment for carpet sweepers therefor, each embodying my invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

rotatable in the body; a pan at one side of the brush; a'comb movably mounted in the body at one side of the brush and above the panand having its teeth projecting upward 1. A sweeper comprising; a body; a brush and towards the brush, and'mounted so as to a fall toward the brush with its teeth projecting into the brush,'and means to limit movement of the teeth into the brush.

2. A carpet sweeper comprising; a body; a brush. mounted in the body to rotate in either direction about a fixed axis; a pan beneath and at one side of the brush; a stripping comb in the body above the pan and at one side of the brush; coacting means on the comb and body for supporting the comb so that its teeth extend u ward and toward the brush and so that the comb is mounted for pivotal movement about an axis which is offset with respect to the center of gravity thereof for swinging the comb teeth toward the brush; and means for limiting movement of the comb toward the brush so that when the brush is rotated in one direction the comb assumes a position with its teeth extended upward between the bristles of the brush to remove brush accumulations and guide the latter downward across the comb into the pan. 1 a

3. A carpet sweeper comprising; a body; a brush rotatable in the body; a comb at one side of the brush having ears; pivot pins in the body on which the ears are pivotally supported at one side of the center of gravit of the comb so that the comb tends to fall mto I the brush; and stop pins positioned in the body so as to engage the ears and thus limit movement of the comb toward the brush, said stop pins being of such length as to engage the comb teeth and thus limit movement of the comb away from the brush. Y

4, A carpet sweeper comprising; a body; a brush mounted in the body to rotate in either direction about a fixedaxis; a pan beneath and at one side of the brush; a: stripping comb in the body above the pan and at one side of the brush; coacting means on the comb and a body for supporting the comb so that its teeth bristles of the brush to remove brush accu-' mulations and guide the latter downward across the comb into the pan; said last inenextend upward and toward the brush and so that the comb is mounted for pivotal movement about an axis which is offset with respect to the center of gravity thereof for swinging the comb teeth towardthe brush; and means for limiting movement of the comb toward the brush so that when the brush is rotated in one directionithe comb assumes a position with its teeth extended upward between the tioned means being so correlated to the combs as to limit movement of the combs away from the brush whereby, when the sweeper is moved away from a horizontal positionand then returned, the combs will be restored to their normal operative positions.

EARLE R. sum. 

